My NFL life is highlighted by fantasy and the lead pipe lock contest which gives you an idea of what I am forced to watch and root for on a weekly basis. Though not great, Ohio football still has a few talking points.
Cleveland Browns (4-6)
The way that Trent Dilfer on ESPN argued against the benching of Derek Anderson was totally indefensible. Dilfer has an obvious beef with the Browns organization and it made him look like and idiot. To be fair, we all have beef with the Cleveland Browns and how poorly they are run, but the mistake they made was paying Derek Anderson after a good half season and a miserable half season when you have a consensus franchise quarterback sitting on your bench (we also would have accepted not benching Derek Anderson sooner as a correct answer).
The reasoning Dilfer used was as follows: you shouldn't bench a quarterback on a bad team, only if the team is good and the quarterback is holding you back. I can't say I disagree with that, but what was Derek Anderson if not the one holding back a decent team? I honestly cannot think of a better way to describe him.
Any time I am 100% sure I am not winning a championship with a certain player, I find it is always OK to trade him (ex: Chauncey Billups/Allen Iverson trade. The Pistons were going nowhere with Billups and now they don't have to pay him and get to watch AI for a season). Derek Anderson is not Super Bowl quarterback and probably not even a playoff quarterback. I am totally confident in that statement. I cannot say with 100% confidence that Brady Quinn isn't capable of winning a Super Bowl. You know what? It's not even about that. The fact is: Derek Anderson is just terrible and Brady Quinn is a promising young player. This was a no brainer and Trent Dilfer, along with many others, missed it by a mile and a half.
Cincinnati Bengals (1-8-1)
This team certainly isn't good, that's not news. The word you would use to describe the '08 Bengals is "adorable." Ryan Fitzpatrick is too small to play quarterback in the NFL. There's just something about tying the Eagles and that sort of feeling like a success that is just so cute. There really is something good about this season though. I'll try to explain...
This season has felt something like a purification. The Bengals needed this. In the last few seasons, I couldn't have said with a straight face that I would root for this team if I didn't already root for them, and that's not right. Sometimes in life you have to ask yourself, "If I were a character in a movie, would I be rooting for myself?" If the answer is "yes," that's something to build on. If it's "no," you have a problem. This current Bengal team may be severely lacking in talent and most anything that produces wins, but at least I am rooting for them on a level deeper than, "I'm a Bengals fan." Before the Pittsburgh game, the announcing crew shared with us a quote about the Bengal Defense uttered by Mike Tomlin. He said that they are good at the things that require no talent. Now, this could easily be taken as an insult...and it sort of is. But regardless, when is the last time the Bengals have been good at anything that requires no talent? Are we listening to coaches now? Giving effort? The answer is...sometimes...and I'll take that. This defense is definitly trying. Hell, the held an offensively skilled and desperate Eagles team to 13 points!
Bottom line, when you suck, there's nothing wrong with losing. The Bengals usually are in the position of blowing games to inferior teams. These guys are putting up fights against far superior opponents, and you can't complain about that. That's why, in some ways, it feels better to root for the 1-8-1 Bengals than the 11-5 or 8-8ones. We're terrible, but we're trying.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Friday, November 7, 2008
Buddies' Sports Life Update
Living on the fence between Cleveland and Cincinnati, I guess I have my pick of teams in football and baseball. Naturally, all four choices basically suck so at least I can't be counted as a bandwagon jumper rooting for an Indians/Bengals combination like I do. So, in an attempt to avoid narrowing my reading population to only people exactly like myself, I'm including The Browns in this addition eventually. It won't be too difficult because I live amongst the anguish of that team as well as my own. My father is a Browns fan so I guess you could say I have "feelings" for the Browns, I just came of age as a football fan when they did not exist or were basically a fake team. In all honesty, they are still generally an unlikable team, but we'll get to that.
(By the way, I still haven't decided if I'm going to include the Reds in my life. Rooting for an American League team, Cincinnati feels farther away during baseball season than Oakland.)
We're starting with what I'm happiest about because that's what I get to do here.
Cleveland Cavaliers (5-2)
This team is legitimately good for the first time since the LeBron Era began. Every other year, fans had to suffer through day after day in the regular season looking up Mark Stein's Power Rankings and finding the Cavs at somewhere around 14, ranked under the elite as well as a small selection of under .500 teams. Though Cleveland fans knew in their hearts things would get better come playoff time, the Cavaliers have been so extremely unimpressive in the regular season that 5 out of 10 analysts on ESPN.com picked the Washington Wizards, who I consider a fake team, to win the first round series last year in the Eastern Confernce Playoffs. How embarassing!! Luckily, those days are gone.
Starting with the back court, this 3-headed monster of small whatever guards (consisting of Mo Williams, Delonte West and Boobie Gibson) must be so annoying to other teams, it sure is a pleasure to watch. All of these guys are mediocre to decent on defense, but they can all get to the hole when LeBron is triple covered and they are all MONEY from 3 (undoubtedly the most annoying thing about them). While we are all waiting to trade Wally, he is playing such unnattractive basketball but is still strangely effective. Getting production out of Wally is like sleeping in a cardboard box for a month and it hasn't rained. Sometimes you feel like sleeping outside in this good weather isn't too bad, maybe even pleasant. Still, you know if you plan on living through the year, you're gonna have to trade that box in for at least a trailor, hopefully a real house. You also can't understate how great of a coaching move it was to stop playing Sasha Pavlovic. A good man would say, "He just doesn't fit in with this group of versatile players we have in the back court." I would say that he is a lump of crap. If he were included in a trade deadline deal...Merry Christmas. Now the front court:
On paper, this is the biggest weakness the Cavs have, and the fact that it's not is probably where Mike Brown makes his money. (I choose to believe this too because I don't want to have conflicted feelings about this team. Picture this...Coach of the Year: Mike Brown). Big Z's game shouldn't fit in with this team but Ilgauskas, as a man, just belongs. He has the attitude of a hot-headed Lithuanian point guard with the body of a dinosaur. He also a grandfather (not father) figure to this team and on a personal note, I love him. The thing that keeps him so helpful is the fact that he is probably the second best passer on the team next to LeBron. He is a perfect example of the uniquely talented, occasionally and oddly productive players LeBron is used to playing with. The other starting big, Ben Wallace, has had a few double digit rebounding games with no points, which is probably what he has always wanted. At the beginning of every game, you usually know if he has it or not, and if he doesn't, you see a whole lot my roommate's least favorite player, Anderson Varejao.
I have gone from loving to hating and then back to loving Varejao in the past two years, and what's weird is that I'm probably going to hate him again after this season. He is playing so well and is so important to the Cavs, they might actually have to pay him real money next summer, which is really the only thing about this season I'm worried about. Is it ok to pay a guy $8 million and have him come off the bench? I guess...whatever.
The last relevant front court character is J.J. Hickson. He has played only a few meaningful minutes, reportedly because Mike Brown doesn't play people unless they know EXACTLY what to do on defense (I'm so sold on Mike Brown). Anyway, this Hickson character is a legitimate reason (to me) to keep watching games in which Cleveland is blowing out the Bobcats. First of all, I like watching rookies, especially ones who are younger than me. Second, this kid will be starting, or at least playing a lot, in a year or two, so it's actually kind of important to the future of the team (his development MIGHT have at least a LITTLE to do with whether or not LeBron stays...somethin' to think about). Third, the kid dunks a lot, and I mean...dunks are fun.
Speaking of dunks, LeBron is still awesome. He is figuring out how to play the post a little and how to play with good players which is probably fun for him. Mr. Bron is running that play where he comes off a pick and catches the ball just below the free throw line a lot...let me repeat that. LeBron is catching the ball on the move below the free throw line. If that play isn't called "automatic points," It should be.
The rest of the reports will be coming shortly. Good day.
(By the way, I still haven't decided if I'm going to include the Reds in my life. Rooting for an American League team, Cincinnati feels farther away during baseball season than Oakland.)
We're starting with what I'm happiest about because that's what I get to do here.
Cleveland Cavaliers (5-2)
This team is legitimately good for the first time since the LeBron Era began. Every other year, fans had to suffer through day after day in the regular season looking up Mark Stein's Power Rankings and finding the Cavs at somewhere around 14, ranked under the elite as well as a small selection of under .500 teams. Though Cleveland fans knew in their hearts things would get better come playoff time, the Cavaliers have been so extremely unimpressive in the regular season that 5 out of 10 analysts on ESPN.com picked the Washington Wizards, who I consider a fake team, to win the first round series last year in the Eastern Confernce Playoffs. How embarassing!! Luckily, those days are gone.
Starting with the back court, this 3-headed monster of small whatever guards (consisting of Mo Williams, Delonte West and Boobie Gibson) must be so annoying to other teams, it sure is a pleasure to watch. All of these guys are mediocre to decent on defense, but they can all get to the hole when LeBron is triple covered and they are all MONEY from 3 (undoubtedly the most annoying thing about them). While we are all waiting to trade Wally, he is playing such unnattractive basketball but is still strangely effective. Getting production out of Wally is like sleeping in a cardboard box for a month and it hasn't rained. Sometimes you feel like sleeping outside in this good weather isn't too bad, maybe even pleasant. Still, you know if you plan on living through the year, you're gonna have to trade that box in for at least a trailor, hopefully a real house. You also can't understate how great of a coaching move it was to stop playing Sasha Pavlovic. A good man would say, "He just doesn't fit in with this group of versatile players we have in the back court." I would say that he is a lump of crap. If he were included in a trade deadline deal...Merry Christmas. Now the front court:
On paper, this is the biggest weakness the Cavs have, and the fact that it's not is probably where Mike Brown makes his money. (I choose to believe this too because I don't want to have conflicted feelings about this team. Picture this...Coach of the Year: Mike Brown). Big Z's game shouldn't fit in with this team but Ilgauskas, as a man, just belongs. He has the attitude of a hot-headed Lithuanian point guard with the body of a dinosaur. He also a grandfather (not father) figure to this team and on a personal note, I love him. The thing that keeps him so helpful is the fact that he is probably the second best passer on the team next to LeBron. He is a perfect example of the uniquely talented, occasionally and oddly productive players LeBron is used to playing with. The other starting big, Ben Wallace, has had a few double digit rebounding games with no points, which is probably what he has always wanted. At the beginning of every game, you usually know if he has it or not, and if he doesn't, you see a whole lot my roommate's least favorite player, Anderson Varejao.
I have gone from loving to hating and then back to loving Varejao in the past two years, and what's weird is that I'm probably going to hate him again after this season. He is playing so well and is so important to the Cavs, they might actually have to pay him real money next summer, which is really the only thing about this season I'm worried about. Is it ok to pay a guy $8 million and have him come off the bench? I guess...whatever.
The last relevant front court character is J.J. Hickson. He has played only a few meaningful minutes, reportedly because Mike Brown doesn't play people unless they know EXACTLY what to do on defense (I'm so sold on Mike Brown). Anyway, this Hickson character is a legitimate reason (to me) to keep watching games in which Cleveland is blowing out the Bobcats. First of all, I like watching rookies, especially ones who are younger than me. Second, this kid will be starting, or at least playing a lot, in a year or two, so it's actually kind of important to the future of the team (his development MIGHT have at least a LITTLE to do with whether or not LeBron stays...somethin' to think about). Third, the kid dunks a lot, and I mean...dunks are fun.
Speaking of dunks, LeBron is still awesome. He is figuring out how to play the post a little and how to play with good players which is probably fun for him. Mr. Bron is running that play where he comes off a pick and catches the ball just below the free throw line a lot...let me repeat that. LeBron is catching the ball on the move below the free throw line. If that play isn't called "automatic points," It should be.
The rest of the reports will be coming shortly. Good day.
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